I am appalled at the many incorrectly identified pieces of porcelain for sale on eBay and elsewhere.  The fakes and frauds are numerous.  Don?t be fooled.  Many fakes are easy to identify. 

The Problem

It confounds me how anyone can list an item for sale and not research it enough to accurately describe it. Some pieces are easy to tell that the original artist or factory did not create them. This would be funny if it did not have such serious implications. Some errors are so blatant that one wonders how can it happen. I am an amateur collector; I can tell the difference. If I can tell the difference, then surely a professional can tell the difference. Dare I say if one is not an expert in an area, then do not make claims one cannot support? Many of these sellers sound so knowledgeable; one thinks it must be true.

One can be generous and allow for an error by the seller. Yet, when as seller is advised of their error, many politely respond, but do not change their listing, and if it does not sell the first time, they will re-list it with the same bad information. At that point, one has crossed over from being a lazy seller into being a fraudulent seller by misrepresenting (lying) about the piece they are selling. Also known as, theft by fraud. If the sellers do not believe me, then they should do more research on their own.

These fakes create several problems. The first problem, when one lists a piece of porcelain for sale wrongly identified, several other unknowing sellers and buyers now have bad information about a mark and follow the first. Secondly, it is destroying the price of the authentic pieces. The authentic pieces no longer seem scare; their rarity is diminished. Finally, and just as important as the first reason, is that many of the so-called fakes or reproductions are high quality pieces deserving appreciation on their own merits, and not have to claim associations for it that are untrue.

 Help stop the fraud: If you see a piece of porcelain listed on eBay and elsewhere wrongly identified, tell the seller what it is. Let them know they are caught. If you like the piece that is misrepresented, stop do not buy it. If you truly want it, write the seller and tell them you will buy it after they correct the listing. The sale of one fake only encourages more sellers to do the same.

Still though, even if antique experts consider these pieces fakes, they are beautiful, often with much gold trim, and some are of the highest quality. After getting the seller to change their listing, buy one, but know what you are buying and appreciate it for what it is and rather than what it is not.

Of all the items one can see listed as authentic Royal Vienna on eBay on any given day, it is unlikely any of them are authentic.  Royal Vienna is truly deserving of that over used word, rare. 

What is it?

My favorite porcelain and pottery comes from Bohemia. The Kk Aerarial Porzellan-Manufaktur Wien  (Imperial and Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Vienna) commonly referred to as Royal Vienna by collectors, is not a Bohemian factory, yet I found it necessary to research it and to write a little about it because of the bindenschild and beehive mark used by Bohemian and other country porcelain factories.

Kk Aerarial Porzellan-Manufaktur Wien. The Imperial and Royal Porcelain factory Vienna was founded in 1718. Emperor Karl VI awarded du Paquier a "special privilege" for the exclusive right to produce porcelain in Austria. It was the second hard paste porcelain factory in Europe, after Meissen. Du Paquier (the founder) sold the factory to the Habsburg "court" in 1744. The Austrian royalty owned and operated the factory from 1744 until it closed in 1864. At the time the factory closed, it was put under museum administration.

After the factory closed, the royal government allowed other factories to open in Austria. One was the Wiener-Neustadt (Vienna-Neustadt), Josef de Cente in Vienna, Austria (1793 to 20th century). This factory bought molds from the Royal factory and made reproductions of the factory's pieces, but its pieces were clearly marked with "de Cente."

In 1902, Alexandra Porcelain Works Ernst Wahliss in Turn-Teplitz, Bohemia also bought molds from the Royal factory and began making reproductions, which also are clearly marked.

Vienna Porcelain Factory Augarten AG was founded in 1922; it is still in operation today. It considers itself the successor to the Imperial and Royal Porcelain Manufactory Vienna, because it occupies the original facility. At times, it will use the date 1718 in its marks. However, the marks are distinguishable from the Royal's factory marks.

Several importers in Europe, New York, and Japan used a bindenschild or beehive mark, as well as the words "Royal Vienna." In addition to Bohemian factories, French, German, Austrian, Japanese, and USA factories and decorating studios used a bindenschild or beehive after 1864. At one time or another, as best I can tell, there have been dozens of factories and importers using a bindenschild (beehive) or the words Royal Vienna in their marks.

Other than the factories mentioned above, the other businesses using the bindenschild or words Royal Vienna were not necessarily intending to produce reproductions rather the intent was to use the fame of the Royal's factory as a way to give status to their own wares.  Many factories, decorating studios, and importers had a "Royal Vienna" line of porcelain. 

There are 40 or more, true Imperial and Royal Porcelain Manufactory Vienna marks. It takes a true expert to detect subtle differences in some of the authentic marks from fake marks. It is my understanding that all authentic Imperial and Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Vienna are marked.  If there is not a mark on the piece, it is not authentic.  Still though, there are some easily distinguishable differences on the fakes.

The Fake Marks

I am only allowed three images in this guide.  Here are three commonly seen and wrongly identified marks. 

1.   2.   3.

1. Arnart Imports, New York, made in Japan, 1957 to 2001
2. Erdmann Schlegelmilch, Suhl, Germany, 1902 to 1938
3. Josef Riedl, Giesshubel, Austria/Stru?ná, Czechia, 1890 to 1910

There are more marks on my CollectorsCircle.com Bohemian Porcelain Reference Web site.  I am not allowed to include a link. 

• First, if the mark says, "Royal Vienna," it is not the Imperial and Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Vienna. No ifs, ands, or buts about it; it is a fake!
• Second, if the mark says, "Austria," it is not the Imperial and Royal Porcelain Manufactory, Vienna. No ifs, ands, or buts about it; it is a fake! Especially, if it says, Germany or Czechoslovakia, it is not authentic.  Vienna has never been in Czechoslovakia.
• If it says "Vienna" or "Wein," it is not the Royal's factory. 
• If there is an importer's mark, or other company mark, it is not authentic Royal Vienna. 

The bindenschild (shield) in the mark was a rendition of the center of the Coat-of-Arms for the royal Austrian Habsburg family. The Imperial and Royal Porcelain Manufactory used the marks impressed in the clay or blue ink underglaze from 1744 until 1864. Just because the mark is blue underglaze or an impressed mark that does not make it an authentic item. Don't be fooled.

Most imitations of the mark are the shield upside down thus it appears to be a beehive. Even many of the true marks turned upside down will look like a beehive. In Rontgen's book "Marks on German, Bohemian, and Austrian Porcelain," page 575-576 Rontgen discusses the marks. To detect imitations of the true mark the book has the following guides:

Pieces with forged Vienna marks are usually heavily decorated with mythological or historical scenes, often with a description of the scene on the bottom. Quite a number of urns, vases and especially plates are signed "Angelica Kauffmann."

1. Any Bindenschild blue overglaze is a forgery. In the early years of the manufactory, circa 1744-1749, the shield occasionally was painted red, purple, black or gold overglaze, but never blue.
2. Any Bindenschild that is stamped blue underglaze or overglaze and shows perfect symmetry and shape is not a mark of the Vienna manufactory.
3. If inscriptions, signatures or letters are arranged in a way that the mark appears as a beehive, it is not the mark of the Vienna manufactory.
4. All impressed number, except 0-60 (molders and turners), 84-99 and 800-864 (year numbers from 1784-1864) are indications of a forgery.
5. Letters, words or shapes in gold overglaze are indications for forgeries. If a part of the bottom is covered with a golden shape, this shape usually hides the original manufacturers mark.
6. Any number over 155 painted in color overglaze is not an identification number of a decorator of the Vienna manufactory.
7. Any number over 27 blue underglaze is not the number of a decorator of the Vienna manufactory.
8. Any bottom description of a decoration or scene indicates that the piece was not decorated in the Vienna manufactory.

Notes: April Fool's Day 2006 several knowledgeable people in porcelain, pottery, and glass got together and reviewed items listed on eBay in his or her area of research, looking for misidentified items and fraudulent listings. 

One may think that one can judge the veracity of the seller by the seller's eBay feedback positive rating or the number of feedback comments received, or seller's status, not true.  Sellers with thousands of feedback comments can maintain a high positive feedback rating while still getting numerous negative feedback comments. 

In the "Royal Vienna" listings, those listings with misidentified marks, 50% were eBay power sellers and/or 32% had over 1,000 feedback comments. 

In some listings, the sellers do not include photographs of the marks or there were no marks on the piece.  For those listings, 35% were power sellers and/or 35% had over 1,000 feedback comments. 

The listings with look-a-like marks, 80% were power sellers and/or 80% had over 1,000 feedback comments. 

The biggest warning signs for me are by those who hide his or her feedback comments, or private auctions.  I will not buy from these sellers. The sellers in private auctions may fear someone contacting the bidders to tell them they are bidding on a fake. 

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This guide is not a scholarly work.  It is not an authority on this subject. 

One of these days, I will add a guide to Angelica Kauffmann fakes.  Presently, there is information on my Web site CollectorsCircle.com. 

I do not buy or sell Royal Vienna porcelain.  If only I were lucky enough to find a piece of it, I would.  I do buy and sell Bohemian porcelain, some of which has a fake mark.  I sell it truthfully.  My ulterior motives, if any,  in writing this guide is to increase the value of Bohemian porcelain to that which its beauty and quality deserves on its own merit. 

I am a member of FraudOnEbay.net and the eBay group AuctionSellersArgainstFakes. 

If you write me, I do not reply using the eBay internal messaging.  I use my CollectorsCircle.com email account. It is simpler for me to use than signing into eBay.